Column
NDDC Probe: Matters Arising
Dissatisfied with the running of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), a coalition of youth groups in Rivers State recently asked the Federal Government to dissolve both the board and management of the commission. The youth bodies, alleging corrupt practices in the commission, in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, accused the Managing Director of NDDC, Mr. Chibuzor Ugwuoha of financial impropriety, and called for his removal. Specifically, a spokesman of one of the youth groups, Mr Robertson Jack said “Niger Delta youths are not happy with the way and manner the commission is being managed”, and asked for its complete overhaul.
Perhaps, moved by the allegations and actions of the youth groups, as well as other stakeholders, the Federal Government, last Thursday, constituted a seven-man, Presidential Committee to look into the problems facing the NDDC. Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, urged the probe panel to properly investigate the problems facing the NDDC, and recommend how best the commission could forge ahead in order to develop the Niger Delta region.
Responding, chairman of the seven-man committee, Steve Oronsaya, former Head of Service of the Federation, said the panel would unravel the mystery affecting the smooth running of the commission. He expressed the profound gratitude of the committee members for the appointment, and assured the Federal Government that the body would live up to its expectations.
Viewed against this backdrop, it would be recalled that the NDDC, established to fast-track the development of the Niger Delta region, has literally nose-dived. Why? Projects initiated by the authorities of the commission, designed to give meaning to the life of Niger Deltans, have been dumped due largely to poor funding of the agency by the federal authorities, as well as the internal wranglings within the agency.
Since its inception, the commission appears to be impacting positively on the lives of Niger Deltas. Indeed, nearly all the 185 local governments in the oil-rich region have benefited. Yes, out of all its projects, about 1,250 have reportedly been completed. Regrettably, the rest projects, which would have lifted the life of Niger Deltans, are begging for attention following the non-release of funds due the commission, and the in-fighting in the commission.
Piqued by the sad development, Pastor Power Aginighan, Executive Director, Finance and Administration of NDDC in May, 2010, wailed over the unfortunate situation. His words: “The commission has received N561,918 billion since its inception in July 2000, and is currently being owed N477 billion by the various statutory bodies.
Addressing guests when the Presidential Monitoring Committee visited the commission’s head office in Port Harcourt, in May, last year. Aginighan lamented that the N477 billion being owed the commission was truncating the operations of the agency, especially the execution and completion of projects already initiated. He would want the authorities concerned to have a rethink on the poor funding, considering the huge projects the commission was handling currently.
As it were, a breakdown of the amount so far released to the NDDC since its inception shows that the commission has been getting about N50 billion yearly from the federal authorities. What this translates to, is that, a little above N9 billion is being spent annually for the execution of projects in each of the nine states in the Niger Delta region. This, to say the least, is tantamount to gross under-funding of NDDC, given the array of projects planned in the region by the commission.
Therefore, the National Assembly should prevail on the authorities to ensure that the NDDC gets all the money due to its statutorily to be able to increase the tempo of its activities. Yes, the lawmakers, should spearhead the struggle for the release of the outstanding NDDC funds. The whopping N477 billion being owed the commission will, in no mean way, give some assurance concerning the development of the oil-rich region.
Happily, the immediate past National Assembly, consistently demonstrated a better understanding of the plight of the people of the Niger Delta region than the executive arm of the Federal Government. Unlike the executive, that appears unsure of what to do to solve the serous problems of the region, the lawmakers showed commendable commitment to facilitate the rapid socio-economic transformation of the region that produces over 90 per cent of the country’s wealth. This has been evident from the very time the bill for the establishment of NDDC was being processed into law. Although the bill was the second to be sent to the National Assembly by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he refused to assent to the bill because of some disagreements. The lawmakers vetoed him by voting overwhelming for its passage. Thus, it was not surprising that the legislators showed keener interest in the survival and success of the NDDC than the federal executive, right from Obasanjo’s administration.
What’s more, it is common knowledge that former President Obasanjo starved the agency of its statutory funding. This is responsible for the N477 billion that the federal government owes the commission up till date. But since late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, placed emphasis on respect for the rule of law, there was hope that the withheld funds would be released. But that was not to be. Yar’Adua’s inclusion of the Niger Delta in the Seven-Point Agenda of his administration and the creation of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, also created the impression that the late president placed high premium on the development of the oil-rich region. Sadly, all that yielded no desired result.
As a result, a lot of people were disappointed by the provision for the Niger Delta in the 2009 budget. The allocation of only N27 billion to the NDDC and N50 billion to the ministry came to many as a shock. One does not want to believe that the intention of the late Yar’Adua administration was to merely split what was budgeted for the NDDC and the ministry.
One can recall vividly that when the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts visited the commission headquarters, last year, and after seeing some of the projects executed by the commission, its Chairman, Usman Mohammed, at the time, expressed satisfaction with what the commission has achieved so far. He said: “We are on a value-for-money assessment of the projects and books of the commission and from what we have seen, there is no doubt that the NDDC has performed creditably”.
Gladdened by what it saw on ground, the committee called for the release of the 50 per cent of the ecological fund due to the nine NDDC member-states as stipulated by the law setting up the agency. For some inexplicable reasons, the commission has not got a kobo from the fund since its inception, though it is a legal imperative. The ecological fund, which was set up by Decree 36 of 1984 and 106 of 1992, was meant to ensure that adequate provision was made to address environment problems in all parts of the country.
While welcoming the committee members, the former Managing Director of the NDDC, Mr Timi Alaibe, blamed the problem of the Niger Delta on the long years of neglect, occasioned by the government’s abdication of its responsibility to the citizens of the area. He told the delegation that the commission had since 2008 commenced full implementation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan, based on late President Yar’Adua’s directive. He said with adequate funding, the commission should be able to address some of the infrastructural problems like roads, bridges, among others, in the region.
All said, the probe panel must note that the problems of NDDC also borders on under-funding and unwillingness of the executive to do what is needful in the troubled Niger Delta region. The panel should therefore make recommendations that would spur the authorities concerned to release the over N477 billion being owed the commission by the Federal Government and other statutory bodes.
While this column is not holding brief for the NDDC, it believes fervently that it is only by adequate funding of NDDC, that Niger Deltans will be convinced that truly the Federal Government means business to transform the region.
A recent exposition by the Executive Director of National Board of Technical Education in Nigeria Professor Bitrus Bagagi on skill Gap in all se3ctors of the economy is revealing.
The issue of skill gap is traceable to the yawning gap in our educational system between paper qualification and capacity development in skills that are relevant to industry and general services in Nigeria.
According to professor Bitrus Bagegi in every five university graduates, there should be five technologists and in every five technologist there should be five technicians.
However, this reality has eluded Nigeria because of poor educational planning and implementation.
Nigerian educational system is still suffering from the hangover of British colonial Educational system which emphasised two basic skills of Literacy and Numeracy.
The colonial masters brought this skill regime to provide the needed manpower for their colonial administration. They wanted interpreters, court clerks, Clergy and security personnel to run their administration. These skills served their purpose of that time and the early days of our independence. However it does appear as if curriculum developers in the Nigeria Educational System are still struggling to get away with this philosophy of immediate and non- sustainable manpower needs.
When the six-three-three-four system of education in Nigeria was introduced, there was a strong vocational component to remove the system from this colonial need.
Old habits they say are difficult to die. Efforts at building vocational education centres to remove the skill gap at the lower rungs of technological development did not seem to make deep and sustainable impact in bridging skill gaps. Polytechnic Education also was created to grow middle level manpower to groom technologists that will provide industrial revolution. Sadly, polytechnics created none technological
Departments to satisfy other needs which universities and Colleges of Education should address. The Universities of Technology became the vogue in the nineteen . eighties with the establishment of Rivers State University of Science Technology in Port Harcourt. The Federal Government of Nigeria glorified it by establishing several Universities of Technology to enthrone a technological revolution. The idea in all these is to have a large army of Artisans, Technicians, Technologists and Certified Engineers.
Education Departments created vocational Department to produce teachers of these skills in technical colleges and vocational centers. Have these efforts made any sustainable and effective impact in addressing skills gap at all levels of technological enterprises.
It is sad to note that the current railway development project in Nigeria has exposed serious skill gap among the I Nigerian work force. Records indicate that five thousand welders are needed in the current construction of Rail tracks and maintenance in Nigeria but the numbers that were documented were only in their hundreds.
This is just a tip of the ice bag in the gap that exists in skill acquisition in the Nigeria conomy. Citizens of Togo and other West African Countries cross the border to Nigeria to do simple jobs of pipe fitters, plumbers and other building craftsmen.
In a country of over 180 million people, it is difficult to find good craftsmen to do simple electrical wiring in a house and good automobile craftsmen are hard to find.
Most times we find half baked technicians who end up creating more problems. Poor electrical wiring installations have often led to fire out breaks and electrocution. Car engines are easily damaged these days because of Incompetent Auto mechanics.
The problem emanates from poor training culture and get rich quick mentality. Some of these skills which are picked on the road sides can be better managed in well structured vocational training centers with the right curriculum and philosophy.
According to C. S. Lewis “Education without value is useful only to make man a more clever devil”.
Have we asked ourselves why buildings are collapsing? Lack of adequate skill is responsible. The Nigeria Polytechnics and Engineering as well as Environmental science Departments have produced more quacks than men and women with requisite skills, the rest are paper tigers. This is why there is serious reliance on
foreign skill holders in almost all the high tech enterprises in Nigeria.
Competent and well groomed craftsmen, technicians, technologies are very few.
Many quacks roam the streets with their tools of incompetence. Sadly, it is not their fault; it is a problem that starts from a flawed educational Environment. Nigeria is a
; mono cultural economy that relies so much on oil but possesses little skill value in the industry.
Foreign investors still control the bulk of man power needs. The hope lies in restructuring our educational system to produce balanced skill driven system. We must get rid of producing graduates with skills and craftsmen who are empty in capacity.
By: Bon Woke
Lately, the rate at which fire incidents resulting from illegal oil refining, popularly known “kpo fire” refining, are being reported is alarming. The fire incidents have led to several deaths and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
It is worrisome that the sad event occurs almost on a daily basis. No week passes without a case of kpo fire explosion being mentioned in the society. These days, it is not only in the rural areas of the creeks, it is also happening in the urban areas that are heavily populated, due to storage of either kpo fire kerosene or petrol.
Despite heavy security checks and monitoring of those involved in the act of producing adulterated petroleum products, the menace has continued unabated. The rate of loss of lives and properties due to activities of illegal refineries has continued to increase despite all the surveillance mounted in various communities by community heads, community development committees (CDCs) and local vigilante groups whose responsibility is to safeguard oil installations in their domain.
Kpo fire or illegal refining does not just occur but is carried out by humans through illegal tampering of the oil pipelines by fraudsters. It is high time we looked into it by getting the relevant authorities to create more awareness. Government at all levels and all relevant agencies involved in crude oil production and refining should, as a matter of urgency, do something as it has caused a lot of harm in most communities.
About two months ago, it was reported that residents were concerned about the activities of illegal oil refineries which led to three separate fire outbreaks in different communities in a local government area. After a fire incident that occurred in Elele community, they were worried about the activities of artisanal crude oil refinery.
As the dry season approaches, it calls for concern because a little spark can lead to serious fire outbreak. Any lives lost can never be recovered. It was alleged that a case of fire outbreak that occurred at Omerelu and led to the death of a man was as a result of kpo fire. Residents of that area also alleged that those involved in the act convey the products in the open without fear of apprehension.
Those involved should be fished out because they are humans and are visible. A situation where such illegal business will be going on within a neighbourhood, while residents keep quiet calls for concern. Even when some of the residents are aware of the activities, they are afraid of victimisation at the end of the day.
Recently, it was also reported that a motorcycle carrying illegally refined products fell and spilled its content in Ubima community. That led to the razing of some buildings and properties worth millions of naira were lost to the inferno.
Eyewitness account revealed how in Omerelu community, a fire incident was recorded when a bus carrying adulterated petroleum products ran into a truck while trying to avoid security checks. It was also gathered that three occupants of the bus lost their lives to the fire and properties were also destroyed.
One problem associated with fire incidents in the rural areas is that of contacting Fire Service operators who are usually stationed in the city. One thing is to put a call across and another is the distance which may take a long time before arrival.
About a month ago, there was fire incident around Chokocho village in Etche Local Government Area. Although Fire Service from Mile 1 in Port Harcourt was contacted and they responded but properties worth millions of naira were already destroyed before their arrival. Their effort deserves commendation, though.
We are aware of the far distance between Isaac Boro Park Flyover in Port Harcourt and Chokocho. One amazing thing about that incident was that so many people in that neighborhood never knew what happened and even those who knew could not speak out.
It was also gathered that the fire outbreak was traceable to the activities of illegal oil refinery. The artisanal refinery was said to be owned and operated by a yet-to-be identified man who fled the area before the surveillance group got information about him. In fact, the man was accused of being behind the Chokocho incident. The head of task force on illegal bunkering activities who made inquiries about it discovered that the suspect left the area with his family before their arrival.
The issue of artisanal refinery has been on the increase in this part of the country and it is important that people are aware of the activities going on in their neighborhood as that will check the excesses of those who indulge in it. People should be able to identify their neighbours with their occupations.
Imagine a situation where security agents were not aware of such incidents until the members of the illegal bunkering taskforce got informed. There are speculations that law enforcement agents are involved and assisting perpetrators in indulging. It is high time the police defended themselves so that all eyes will not be on them. Lately, the Police had been doing great jobs. In fact, their relationship with the citizenry has been very cordial and anything that will tarnish the image of the Force should be avoided.
At the end of investigation, anyone found guilty of the offence should be arrested and prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others. This is because the harm resulting from illegal oil refinery and kpo fire is alarming. Sometimes, it is either adulterated petrol or kerosene stored in the houses that go up in flames when it comes in contact with fire. Petrol as inflammatory substance is supposed to be deposited at the petrol filling stations and not in the houses.
It is common these days to see heavy and thick smoke resulting from kpo fire around creeks in the environment. The smoke, experts say is dangerous to human health. How long will ‘yet-to-be-identified persons’ continue to perpetrate evil in the society?
Some persons have argued that it is better to gather all the people doing the illegal refining since they have become local petroleum engineers. Then the government should set up refinery and sell the crude to them to refine legally without doing kpo fire that is harming the environment. At the end of the day, they distribute to their customers in a better and legal manner. I think that is a welcome development as it will save the society from the menace.
The issue of illegal refining or kpo fire should be looked into by governments and oil producing companies in Nigeria. Surveillance by both host communities where oil installations are sited and security agencies should be intensified so as to apprehend those whose stock-in-trade is to vandalise pipelines and cause loss of lives and properties.
Local Government chairmen and their councillors should ensure that those found in the act are punished according to the law. Community heads should communicate with the rural dwellers and more awareness created on the dangers of oil bunkering.
By: Eunice Choko-Kayode
It is important to recall that when God created Adam, he needed to make creation complete by creating Eve. He thus sowed the seed for procreation and for the population of human society. It became, obvious that no human society can be complete without the presence of male and female homosapien. God made all creatures male and female. This was intended to achieve harmony. Unfortunately, peace and harmony have eluded the human society because of violence. Violence has been explained as strength of emotion or of a destructive natural force.
More apt is the definition of violence as behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage or kill someone. Precisely, violence is about human behaviour which relates to emotional and physical force intended to hurt. The International Day for the elimination of violence against women was celebrated on the 25th day of November, 2021.
This global celebration is a wakeup call on the world population to remind them of the danger of gender based violence. In this case, women and the girl children are the victims of this absurdity. Indeed, any harm done to women and the girl children is harm against humanity. This fragile specie of the human society deserves to be protected because of their roles as mothers. Mothers nurture the present and the future of any society. It is therefore a thing of great global interest that the U. N. Body set aside 16 days of activism as part of this celebration to dig deep into the importance of protecting women and Girl children against all forms of abuse.
Records indicate that one out of three women has been abused at one time or the other. Indeed, 35 percent of women worldwide have been abused with respect to rape. The theme of this year’s celebration is Orange The World: End Violence Against Women Now!”
Orange in this concept is explained as a colour that represents a brighter future, free of violence against women and girl children.
Women and gender activists around the globe have remained awake and vociferous to raise the awareness that women around the world are objects of rape, domestic violence and other forms of gender based violence. Rape in particular is the most prevalent violent injury inflicted on women globally in India, UK, South Africa, Nigeria and the United States. In the United States, reports indicate that one out of six Americans has been raped or has been a victim of attempted rape.
“Rape is an unlawful act which involves sexual intercourse carried out by force and under threat of injury against a person’s will”. Research evidence across the globe indicates that reporting rape cases is a herculean task because many victims choose not to report as a result of the embarrassment associated with it and most importantly because of fear of reprisals.
Victims are most often threatened with serious repercussions if they reveal the encounter and the perpetrators of the act. Parents and adults, keep mute when their girl child is raped because of prejudices and attendant stigmatisation that may trail the victims. The conspiracy of silence is the greatest bane of the unfortunate pain the girl child suffers.
Defilement of underage girl child is the most unfortunate and demonic aspect of gender abuse. There are rampant reports about the adults and aged males forcing their genitals into the sex passage of infants. This absurdity further debases the human society and brings to question the moral authority of some persons who address themselves as fathers. Innocent children are victims of their depravity that sometimes have ritualistic intentions.
According to the Minister of Women Affairs in Nigeria, Mrs. Paulen Tallen, 30 percent of women and girls have experienced one form of sexual abuse or the otherin Nigeria. Women and girls between the ages of 14 and 49 years, experience different forms of sexual abuse.
Research reveals that 28 percent of Nigerians aged between 25 and 29 years of age have experienced physical violence since the age of 15 or below. Most of these revelations come up when the victims are liberated and free to speak out. Also 44 precent of divorced, separated or widowed persons have reported experiencing violence since early teens.
The case of married women in Nigeria and domestic violence is replete with tales of horror, pain and penury. 25 percent of married women experience violence which comes in different forms of abuses. Sadly, many married women die in silence struggling to keep their marriage because of societal stigma. Some swallow the abuses and pain for the sake of their children. In all, the girl children and women suffer sexual harassment, physical violence, harmful traditional practices, emotional and psychological violence.
The girl childen and women need to be rescued from this hell. They need sustained Advocacy and empowerment. The women need to be protected by the law through consistent and purposeful prosecutions of perpetrators of violence. Let parents speak out and let the girl children be taught to speak out too.
The female gender needs to be protected and given the confidence to shield themselves against sexual violence. The society, parents, law enforcement agencies, N. G. Os and the judiciary should rally forces together to protect the mothers of today and the future.
By: Bon Woke